FILM INFO: Brawn meets Broadway in this Musical Action Comedy that pits a rockin' band of vampire slayers against a sinister bloodsucking syndicate.
WRITTEN BY: Ned Donovan DIRECTED BY: Crystal Arnette GENRE: Musical, Action, Comedy TIME: 42 minutes (Entire season)
The Hunted: Encore S 2 ( 2017 )
Web Series Review
My personal rating for this show was a tough call. Balancing all the good, and the not quite as good episodes, took a little finagling of my mind. Individually, my ratings per episode would have ranged from a two and a half, which is still pretty decent for a micro series, straight through to maybe a four and a half. I'm not going to bother rating each episode individually, and would rather leave that for viewers to determine themselves. I think it's better that way for one simple reason. Anyone reading these words of mine, will simply have to watch the series themselves to find the golden episodes. Rest assured however, even the ones that are not so great are still plenty good enough to enjoy. The really good ones are just the spice for the meat. "The Hunted: Encore" is a musical vamp series. Maybe not the most unheard of genre, but a definite rarity in the world of micro productions. I think it's safe to say, that of the hundreds of indie movies and series I've watched over the years, this is the first I've seen of this style. Before even hitting that play button, I knew it was either going to be good... or be complete crap. I'm not the biggest fan of musicals, but I have to say this was fun. The setup is simple. Slayers are the good guys. Vampires are bad. Mostly. "The Hunted" essentially leads itself up to a final battle, using music to tell a little back story, current story... and even have a little bit of a good time. The musical numbers fit the onscreen events. Most are catchy and fun, but all are done well. Anyone who actually loves musicals will feel right at home watching this series. For those on the fence, like myself, you may just find yourself eerily drawn to what's happening on your screen... and in your ears. "The Hunted: Encore" is exactly what you expect it will be, with a little of what you're hoping it will be piled on top. The quality of the production is a mixed bag of blood. I would have loved to see more traditional shots, such as the opening segment of episode six, and many of the musical numbers performed. The switch to the hand held, jumpy, shaky style was a major let down for me. Had the intermission segments all been filmed with the same care as the musical pieces, I think the difference would have been an extra full star. The capability was present, as showcased by the polished video of the numbers... so why not go all the way with the entire production? Other than that, the actual fighting sequences ranged from average looking to really cool. Nothing stands out as bad... maybe a little less polished, but the good action elements were really good. Now let me quickly write about the acting and songs themselves. Mostly, the acting "is" the music... and the music is good. From a production standpoint, "The Hunted: Encore" features some really well done tunes. Recorded and mixed nicely and to be honest... really well written. I do have two standout favorite pieces. Episode three's tune Subscribe, Rate, Review, and episode four's number, It Only Takes One Bite. There are some remixes, and reworded versions of songs through the series, which is normal for musicals, but these two particular numbers were awesome. That's not to say the rest were bad... they were all really good. Those two were simply my favorite - but generally writing, the music pushes this show - and the series is great. I really wasn't sure what to expect when I started, since episode one, in my opinion, is the weakest episode. After that however, things really begin to take shape and push forward. Overall I had some real fun binge watching this season, and am always happy when I come across a truly good production. Truth be told? I thought for sure I would hate it - and then - I didn't. If this troupe of singing vampires and slayers can win me over... I can only imagine how an actual fan of the genre will react to this show. My ears thank you, and my brain hates you for what you've done. Perhaps it's time to change my views on musicals. Perhaps...
